Beev doesn't seem to realize that the longer running time is due to the fact that the 24 seconds or so of missing footage from the Library of Congress print (which was used for the Kino/Odeon releases) is intact in the MGM print (which, apparently, Olive has used). This is a frustrating situation as the MGM master is from a 1950s re-release of The Stranger which truncates the final shot to eliminate the on-screen text noting that the film was (originally) distributed by RKO. I suspect the MGM master was created by duping an original print, so any version based on the MGM master will lack the clarity of detail found in the Library of Congress print which seems to have come from the original negative. At the same time, the MGM master is not damaged in the way the LOC print is. The perfect solution would be to digitally fix scratches and marks found on the LOC print and reinstate the missing footage from the MGM master to create the best version. But as a public domain film, The Stranger is never going to be worth the time and effort to restore it properly.

Yeah, I'd like to have those extra seconds included, but after waiting on the Kino for someone to do a slight upgrade, at this point that feels like the best to reasonably expect for at least the next few years. So I guess I'm going back to that edition after all.

Judging only by the frame grabs on Beaver, the Kino looks too bright and flat to me. Look at the shot of Loretta Young dangling in the steeple--the dark areas look chalky, and you can barely see her right arm at all; everything between the shoulder and elbow is gone. The shadows look far better on the Olive, yet you can make out details lost in the Kino.

The Miracle Worker (1962) is coming soon-- I feel like at some point we guessed this was with every boutique/studio wholesaler label BUT Olive. Probably because it's way too big a title for them... maybe it's one of their signature releases?

domino harvey wrote:The Miracle Worker (1962) is coming soon-- I feel like at some point we guessed this was with every boutique/studio wholesaler label BUT Olive. Probably because it's way too big a title for them... maybe it's one of their signature releases?

Didn't Twilight Time plan to release this at one point? Did that deal fall through or was I imagining things? (its at least what I put for this post)

Since the premiere of our initial Olive Signature titles—High Noon, Johnny Guitar, The Quiet Man, The Night of the Grizzly, Macbeth, and Hannie Caulder—Olive Signature has undergone an evolution. Our focus has not only been how to continue to bring to you the highest quality versions of your favorite Olive Films titles, but also how to ensure the sustainability of Olive Signature.

After careful consideration, we have concluded that the only way for Olive Signature to remain viable is to release these titles in Blu-ray-only limited pressings of 3,500 units. Fans can rest easy knowing that these Blu-rays will still be available to them through our website and the same sellers as before, though as always, the only store that we can guarantee timely fulfillment through is our own, olivefilms.com. To reaffirm our commitment to you as our top priority, we are taking added precautions to combat the scalping of these exclusive Blu-rays by capping the units sold through our website at five per household. Effective immediately, you will see these changes with our highly anticipated November debuts of Olive Signature Operation Petticoat and Father Goose.

This also means that our past Olive Signature DVDs and Blu-rays will be going out of print, so act now to purchase your own

domino harvey wrote:Is their theory really that 3500 people want a special edition of Father Goose?

I knew they were going to return the line eventually, and doing limited runs is a smart move, but the two titles they chose to start with is mindbogglingly. I would have expected an update of Invasion of the Body Snatchers since that would sell.

I was expecting one of the English boutique labels on either side of the Atlantic would be getting around to Letter from an Unknown Woman considering the superior French release and am thrilled it's getting a lavish treatment here! (Might be persuaded to pick up New Leaf as well).

Extras are thus:
Letter from an Unknown Woman
BRAND NEW 4K RESTORATION of the film
Audio commentary by Max Ophüls expert Lutz Bacher
"A Deal Made in a Turkish Bath" - interview with Oscar-winning documentarian Marcel Ophüls
"An Independent Woman: Changing sensibilities in a post-war Hollywood" - interview with Professor Dana Polan
"Ophülsesque: The Look of Letter from an Unknown Woman" - with cinematographers Ben Kasulke and Sean Price Williams
"Letter from An Unknown Woman: Passion's Triumph" - visual essay by film scholar Tag Gallagher
Essay by critic Molly Haskell
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
A New Leaf
Special Features and Technical Specs:
BRAND NEW RESTORATION FROM 4K SCAN of the original camera negative
Audio commentary by film scholar Maya Montanez Smukler
"The Cutting Room Floor: Editing A New Leaf" - interview with A New Leaf assistant editor Angelo Corrao
"Women in Hollywood: A Tragedy of Comic Proportions" - with director Amy Heckerling
Essay by critic, editor & film programmer Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
"The Green Heart" by Jack Ritchie, the source material for Elaine May's script
Trailer
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature

Wonder if A New Leaf will improve upon MoC's disc (which is already excellent)? Doubt it'll happen, but if they found any of the lost footage from May's original cut, that would be the bonus feature of the year.

Sigh, Ophuls in 4K sounds pretty great. Still, I am getting a bit tired (who isn't?) by the double-triple dipping. If only it was possible to make an ultimate edition the first time a film was released.

I've been holding off buying the current blu ray for years and am glad I have. Still, I'm starting to wonder if swo is right. Thinking about condensing my collection and just rewatching some of these classics that collect dust.

I'd like to list my Olive Blu of Force of Evil on Amazon and imagine I'm far from alone. But the product page for it has disappeared.
I inquired with Amazon about what had happened to this ASIN (B0080JG2QO), and they replied that the reason for the removal was: "Item is recalled, prohibited, or violates copyright/trademark and is not available for sale."
I thought this was possibly an error, so I emailed Amazon's copyright team to see if it'd be possible to reinstate this ASIN, and they told me that "the product was removed from Amazon upon the manufacturer's request."
Seems really odd.

Looks like Olive has gotten into the Twilight Time rescue program as they will be releasing Birdman of Alcatraz on Blu-ray on February 27. They are also releasing Great Balls of Fire, Five on the Black Hand Side, and Hallelujah Trail on the same day.